Local budget cosmetic brand Missha has recently opened its ninth and 10th branches in Kazakhstan, its mother company Able C&C said Monday.

The ninth store is located inside APORT Mall, while the 10th opened in Mega Park, both in Kazakhstan’s largest city of Almaty. “Both locations are frequented by locals and foreigners. A success in Kazakhstan will give us a leg up in the Central Asian market,” said Lee Gwang-sup, a company official.

BB Cream ― the company’s signature best-seller, has been spearheading Missha’s popularity in Kazakhstan, and the firm posted $1.8 million in sales in the first half of 2014. This was double the figure for the first two quarters of 2013. Missha plans to promote essences and other skincare products to further push up sales in the region, the firm said.

Missha operates 1,300 outlets in 27 countries. Its first Kazakhstani store opened in 2011.

(baejisook@heraldcorp.com)